Happy leap day

Sorry it's been such a long time since we posted. We've all been pretty busy up here in Boston. We'll apologize with a pile of pictures after all the boring jibber jabber, I promise.

Let's see. May is big and getting bigger. She talks all the time -- she's memorized all the books and the words to every song from every kids' album we have, most of them Sandra Boynton. There's nothing like a two-year-old walking down the street singing, "I. Want. A. Big band sound. I want a Big. Band. Sound!"

She's started helping to clear the table, as well as set it, and we've moved from a high chair to a booster seat. She usually remembers to put her napkin in her lap and ask to be excused. (Usually. Without much prompting.) She doesn't say grace with us -- though she knows the words -- but she does end it with a resounding "Rock on!" every time.

Her favorite food (this week) is popcorn. And dried apple slices. Sometimes together. Her favorite expression is "Oh my God! That's awesome!" which I have to assume she got from me. I swear, if you'd asked two weeks ago, I would have said that I never say "awesome" anymore, but apparently I do. I am a child of the 1980s.

She's very into trucks and she can successfully identify an impact hammer, a super pumper fire truck, and a combine, as well as distinguish between a back hoe, an excavator, and a tractor with a grapple. In addition, she loves the Knuffle Bunny books.

We've begun tentative attempts at potty training, but I still haven't found a book that I like, so I'm not diving in whole heartedly. She's entirely ready for it, though, so I've got to get my act together.

We went to a pediatric ophthalmologist at Children's Hospital this week to get her eyes looked at. She has a very mild strabismus , which we noticed in early January. A strabismus is when one eye tracks differently than the other. It's fairly common in toddlers -- about 1 in twenty gets it -- and there's a good chance that she won't need any treatment at all. The docs there were very impressed with her focus and verbal acumen -- they said they almost never get that comprehensive of a test from a child as young as May.

May, of course, loved going and keeps asking when we can go back!

We applied for a slot at a daycare in Lincoln at Drumlin Farm. It's an Audubon refuge and she would get to spend two mornings a week running around outside, milking cows, playing with chickens, chasing horses, and generally grubbing in the mud. We're hoping to get one of the slots -- it's a pretty popular program, though, and we're not Lincoln residents.

May's godfather, Steve, is coming to visit at the end of next week. We'll celebrate his birthday and Christopher's while he's here. We're very excited because we haven't seen Steve since our D.C. trip over the summer and we all miss him very much.

Okay, the boring talk part is over and here are the photos. We promise more regular updates in the future. No. Really.